<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Legends Never Die by TheNobodyofaSOLDIER</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742454">Legends Never Die</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER/pseuds/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER'>TheNobodyofaSOLDIER</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Blind Character, Comfort, Death, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Rescue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:47:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER/pseuds/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots for "The Legend of Zelda!" More characters to be added</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Reader, Prince Sidon/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Link x Blind!Reader]</p><p>The call of birds flying over head as they venture to warmer lands, the moan of the winds through the rustling trees, painted and colored, the bite of the cool air as the night approaches, the hint of warmth from the descending sun, the giggling of children as their feet patter across the pavement as their parents beckon them to return;</p><p>You saw the scene through the tingle of your skin. Every sound depicted the picture better than any words could. With a slow inhale, you closed your clouded eyes and sink into your chair. </p><p>Despite the late hour, you refused to return home.</p><p> </p><p>You promised you would wait until he came back...</p><p> </p><p>Being so close throughout your childhood, throughout your years together, you always swore you would venture out, explore the land outside your home. You never considered yourself the brightest, the strongest, nor the bravest,</p><p>but with him at your side, you always felt as though you could accomplish anything.</p><p>After long days of working in the field, you explored the unknown treasures of your village, the hiding places no one else knew of save for you two. You dreamt of wild adventures in which you fought away the evil threatening to take your land. You spoke of grand tales of magic and wonder, something only you could conjure up, something he loved you for even more, despite his quiet responses.</p><p>Never did you imagine these fantasies to materialize when darkness overtook your home.</p><p>Possessing courage and strength beyond what anyone would expect, he battled with these monsters, these twisted beings. He bore the burden of becoming a hero. </p><p>Yet, you failed to cross the line. You struggled as best as you could, but the power of this evil proved too much for you.</p><p>And the injury was too much for you to bear. </p><p>So, you were forced to stay behind. Eyes broken and torn, unable to perceive the tiniest hint of sunlight, you remained in the comfort of your home, writhing in agony, knowing he wandered out there without you.</p><p>Even still, he remained at your side to tend to your wounds, bandaging your eyes, cleaning the damaged skin. He still held you as you awoke in the night, screaming in fear at the everlasting blackness crowding about you. Very little did he speak. still, his actions were more than enough, tracing the little patterns on your neck, brushing the tangles from your hair, wiping away your tears, intertwining your fingers with his. </p><p>Had it not been for him, those few precious weeks, you knew not what would have become of you. </p><p>Alas, his duty summoned him to vanquish the evil that sucked the light from your home, the reduced you to this terrible state. </p><p>As you stood at the steps of your home, tears soaking the gauze around your eyes, he smiled delicately. Taking you by your wrist, he pulled you against him, swaying you carefully, drawing those invisible marks on the base of your neck. The warmth, the slow beat of his heart against your cheek, the strength of his embrace, this was your sanctuary, and separating from him even a little bit was your worst nightmare. </p><p>As he finally departed, despite the anxiety clutching your chest, you knew he would return. </p><p>You trusted him.</p><p>No, you <i>believed</i> in him, more so than any of the Hylian deities. </p><p>The months were long, painful, exhausting.</p><p>You remained at your home with a patience that would even make the mountains crumble. </p><p>You listened for him, the clopping and whinny of a horse, the shuffle of boots against the gravel.</p><p>Anything...</p><p>Anything at all...</p><p>The minutes etched on longer and longer, monotonous, tiring, just as every other day had been. A million and one questions and worries bombarded your mind, causing your heart to race and palms to sweat.</p><p>But, you clung to the little bit of hope burning inside you, the bit of sunlight remaining in your world of black. </p><p>You continued to listen to the world outside the world of voices attempting to drag you back; nothing but whispers and mutters, too distant even for you to perceive. Doors creaked as they were shut. As a hush fell over the village, your heart sank.</p><p>Still no sign of his return...</p><p>You knew he would come. You knew he would find you again.</p><p>But, what was it that made you feel so empty inside?</p><p>Tears burned the corners of your eyes as your buried your face in your hands. It ached. It hurt so much, going this long without him, the only hint of light remaining. You mustered the strength as long as you could. You carried onward. </p><p>Despite appearing so weak and frail, you possessed strength even you failed to understand.</p><p>Now, you just needed this moment of weakness. You longed just to cry your troubles away until the hole inside was filled.</p><p>In the midst of the silence, you perceived the crunching of gravel growing nearer and nearer. A horse grunted. Buckles clanked against each other. </p><p>You froze in your chair, holding your breath, listening, trying to hear over your pounding heart. </p><p>The steps came closer and closer. You inhaled deeply, catching a familiar earthy and musky scent. </p><p>Could it be-?</p><p>Before you spoke, calloused fingers covered in leather laced with your own. You were pulled from the wooden, rocking chair and entwined in a warm embrace. Stifling a sob, you latched your arms about his neck and bury your face into his shoulder.</p><p>With a small smile and a sigh of contentment, he pressed his cheek into your sun-kissed hair, tracing those same little patterns along the back of your neck, the skin shining gold under the setting sun.</p><p>Everything felt complete once more, and just as you had as children, you felt as though you could fly with him at your side.</p><p>He was your light in a hopeless world.</p><p>But, what you never realized, what you couldn’t see passed those clouded eyes, despite his  courage to face the gravest of dangers was this:</p><p>if loving you meant losing everything, he would still cling to you, still follow you to those fantastical worlds of yours. You were the incentive that drove him on, the motivation he needed to fight.</p><p>You too were the sunlight in his own world of darkness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Brave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Link x Injured!PTSD!Reader]</p><p>Wind; its cool caresses tickle your cheeks and brush aside your hair.</p><p>The sunshine; its precious, golden rays warm cool patches along your skin. </p><p>The birds twitter and sing their lullaby as they swirl and play with the emerald leaves that fall. The cool grass cradles you, tickling the bare skin of your cheeks, neck and arms. </p><p>Despite the peace finally settling in Hyrule, despite the joy and celebration bursting forth in every town, every home, for the Hero that relieved them of the horror from the shadows, your heart aches. Your limbs ache.</p><p>No, everything aches, inside and out.</p><p>Every moment you close your eyes, the horrid visages of monsters once slain, imprinted into your mind, resurface and torture you. Your head spins. Your heart pounds so voraciously, the beating sends tremors through your limbs and throat.</p><p>You were going to die. You were certain every time that fear clenched your chest, stole your breath away, you were going to die from its shear suffocation or your heart simply bursting from over exertion. </p><p>A part of you wished it so. You longed to be free from this pain, this sorrow. When your mind ceased its torture, aching limbs throbbed, reminding you of the healing you had yet to accomplish. When your body soothed even for just a moment, your mind bombarded you with those mental scars yet needing repair. </p><p>It never ended.</p><p>Would it ever end?</p><p>A tiny part of you, alas one dwindling so quickly,  clung to hope of a better life, a chance of recovery. That little flame demanded you keep strong, that you stay brave, for these times would indeed pass.</p><p>Ah, how stuck you felt, so locked in place! Such a notion seemed impossible, nothing more than a flimsy fantasy concocted out of desperation to ignore the reality.</p><p>But, just when you thought for certain you had finalized your decision to end it all, a firm yet gentle hand encircled your shoulder. In just a flash of a second, your braced yourself for combat, according to conditioned reflexes, ones always prepared for any danger possibly coming your way.</p><p>Then, you were greeted with eyes bluer than the sea, eyes full of worry and concern, hair with hues so gold, the sun paled in comparison. </p><p>And eyes burning with tars, one name rolled off your tongue:</p><p>“Link...”</p><p>Without uttering a word, he pulled you from your bed in the ground, brushing away debris sticking to your clothes. Immediately, burning tears streaked down placid cheeks as you buried your face into his chest, fingers fisting his green clothes. Much to your surprise, you felt him breathe, almost with relief. Did he think you were gone? Did he think you finally took the initiative to end it all?</p><p>In reality, he did. </p><p>Ever since Hyrule obtained is long deserved freedom from war, he noticed your gradual deterioration. He saw you seclude yourself from loved ones, sleep away days, be it rain or shine. He knew something was wrong. He knew, and he fretted. </p><p>He just never possessed the courage to tell you...that was until now. </p><p>He never spoke one word to convey this. Instead, as your composure finally settled over you again, he tightened his arms about you, rested his cheek against the top of your head. He held you as if his own sanity depended on keeping you near. Eyes widening just a bit, your heart raced again, but not due to fear, but due to the realization of his silent message.</p><p><i>I need you...,</i> he seemed to say.</p><p>You? You, who so fell under the influence of fear and pain? He needed you? </p><p>Before you raised your head, his palm gently came down on the nape of your neck, thumb caressing the skin there in a slow rhythm. He slightly turned his face toward you, his nose barely tracing the skin of your temple. Each touch sent a tingle down your spine. </p><p>Ah, such a delightful change than the numbing grip of anxiety. </p><p>You lost all desire to speak, so you fall limp in his embrace, finally, obtaining a small sense of peace. </p><p>He was the one that fueled that spark, so desperately attempting to keep you alive. </p><p>But, unbeknownst to you, despite your brokenness, you gave him a strength and motivation that delved deeper beyond even your own perception.</p><p>With each other to lean on, no matter what came your way, you were able to stay courageous.</p><p>You were brave.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. No Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Link x Blind!Reader]</p><p>Hardly ever did he speak.</p><p>You would count the hours you spent together in silence, chest tightening, heart pounding at the thickening silence. You listening to the taps of his heels, the clinking, the creaking of the wood, as he proceeded with the mundane tasks of everyday. What could he be thinking? What might be disturbing him that day? Was he tired? Was he sick? Was he in a foul mood?</p><p>Worse still, was he irritated with you?</p><p>With eyes now broken, sound and words held so much more value than they once had.</p><p>So, why did he not speak?</p><p>Why did he leave you hanging in the midst of quiet sounds and silence?</p><p>But, when those voices in your head threatened to drown you in their chaos, a gentle, calloused palm rested on top of your own. You jumped at the sudden contact. Your heart raced. Your blood heated as it rushed through you. Your mind silenced as you waited.</p><p>His thumb dragged over the sensitive skin of the back of your hand, triggering shivers up your arm. Warmth encircled your arm as his other palm enclosed your wrist. Lifting it from its place on the armrest, he lightly caressed your fingers with the silky skin of his lips.</p><p>A grin stretched across your face. Your entire body warmed as tingles sparked at the tips of your fingers. You noted the thin grooves in his lips, the heat from his breath, warming cool patches of skin, the soft ends of his hair tickling. Pulling away for merely a moment, he touched your cheek, caring for it as if any more pressure would cause your skin to break. With a caress lighter than the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings, he brushed his lips over yours.</p><p>You sighed and breathed against his mouth.</p><p>The clenching anxiety touching your heart drifted away.</p><p>You thought verbal communication was the only way in which you would know of his love for you.</p><p>But, in reality, what you discovered with him, true love required no words at all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Young!Link x Young!Reader]</p><p>The beginning of a new day was a welcoming feeling. New possibilities opened. New adventures awaited, and new explorations were in store.</p><p>Alas, at this moment, it was the closure of another chapter, the end of a significant part of your life.</p><p>This morning meant the departure of your dearest friend.</p><p>Waking this morning left you empty. Not the cheery song of nearby birds or the warm, golden rays of the sun encircling your bed could bring a smile to your face. An unidentifiable fear struck you; racing heart, blood running cold, mind spinning. </p><p>All you could think about was one thing.</p><p>
  <i>I don’t want him to go.</i>
</p><p>Jumping from your bed, you rushed from your home through Kokiri Forest. The canopy of trees cast a golden shadow over the haven. Silence still enveloped the land as everyone still remained nestled in their beds, still waiting for the full greeting of the morning. </p><p>But, not him. </p><p>You knew he would soon depart for the open lands of Hyrule for a journey he refused to speak of.</p><p>A part of you always felt this would happen. He was not a true Kokiri. He came here alone, no fairy, no memory of his past, no foundation to rest on. An inkling always tickled the back of your mind that he might leave someday.</p><p>But, even with that thought, you could never brace yourself for the reality coming into play.</p><p>You stepped through the wooden portal. Your eyes ached at the small space of open sky allowing pure sunlight to come through. A gentle breeze softly rustled the trees and rocked the bridge, causing the planks to creak. </p><p>Just as you expected, you found him, eyes of crystal blue lost gazing past the horizon. Already equipped with his sword and shield, he seemed to be saying one more silent farewell to his woodland home, so willing to take in a foreign child. Biting your lip, you approached him, tentatively, attempting to construct something, anything at all.</p><p>But, all you could think was very desperate, even selfish.</p><p>
  <i>Don’t go.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Please, don’t go...</i>
</p><p>Breaking from his trance, he turned to you. You stopped.</p><p>He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. </p><p>Swallowing the lump in your throat, you lowered your head.</p><p>“Link...”</p><p>Your voice cracked. </p><p>He waited, face softening just a bit.</p><p>“Link, I just wanted....”</p><p>Again, your voice trembled and broke as your throat constricted. Your eyes began to burn as tears started to gather at the rims of your eyes. Biting your lip and clenching your fists, you fought the urge to weep, only to find the warm fluid trickling down your cheeks. You felt a flush warm your face, and your heart pounded.</p><p>Ah, you promised you wouldn’t cry...</p><p>Suddenly, you sensed two hands cup your cheeks and thumb wipe the tears from beneath your eyes. When you raised your head just a little, you were greeted with a soft smile. Eyes cool and clear as water captured your attention, and somehow, a wave of calm washed over you. With shaking hands, you held his wrists, pulling him just a little closer to you.</p><p>
  <i>Please, don’t go...</i>
</p><p>It was all you wanted to say, but in all honesty, you didn’t need to.</p><p>He already knew.</p><p>Alas, he still had no choice but to embark on his journey, his destiny.</p><p>And you knew.</p><p>You hated it, but you couldn’t deny it either. </p><p>After his hands fell to your shoulders, he delicately pressed his lips to your forehead. Your heart leapt, and then slowed as relief began to settled. </p><p><i>I’ll come back,</i> he seemed to say.</p><p>
  <i>I’ll come back for you.</i>
</p><p>Even as he turned from you finally to make way to the fields of Hyrule, you were confident in this fact.</p><p>You would see him again, even if it meant waiting here forever.</p><p>You would wait,</p><p>because you knew he would keep his promise.</p><p> </p><p>The distant crow of a rooster echoed across the land, announcing the breaking of the dawn. </p><p>Morning shown through,</p><p>and another day began.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dusk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Link x Reader]</p><p>A hazy glow settled over Hyrule Field as the sun began to tuck himself beneath the blanket of the horizon. Epona whinnied as Link snapped her reigns and urged her to hurry before the night cast her menacing veil over the land. As the opening to Kokiri Forest came into view through the first thin canopy of trees, his heart raced, and cold blood ran through his fingers. </p><p>Nothing changed. </p><p>Down to the last browning leaf. </p><p>With a tug and a pull, Epona slowed and stopped, right before the wooden entrance of the forest. After dismounting, Link paused and examined the circular opening, the grooves, the lines of the wood. The rims had been chipped, more than likely due to weather and the natural progression of  time. Mold and algae built in scattered clumps. </p><p>It left a pit in his stomach.</p><p>To him, only a few days passed since he left Kokiri Forest to embark on his quest for Hyrule’s liberation from the clutches of Ganondorf. In such a short amount of time, he had been in worlds and battled against forces his childhood friends never knew even existed. </p><p>He was a walking paradox. </p><p>While growing up faster than any child in history through experience alone, he still withheld the same insecurities and worries a normal young boy with face. They just concealed themselves within the back of his mind, until they were safe for rumination. </p><p>With a stabilizing breath, Link clenched his fists and stepped through the portal, then across the rickety bridge. </p><p>A solitary bird sang for a small orchestra of crickets and frogs. The cool breeze softly rustled the trees as if singing a lullaby for the Kokiris. The earthy smell of the grass and tree bark, the sparkle of fairies protecting the children of the forest, despite sharing completely different roots with these people, he felt like the prodigal son, returning after seven long years of travel. Wandering through the village proved no easier. Houses still remained the same. The fairy folk aged naught. A few curious gazes followed him as he wandered through.  </p><p>So strange...</p><p>Not even the people he grew up with recognized him...</p><p>The ache in his heart morphed into unbearable pain.</p><p>A part of him expected this. Despite his green attire and accompaniment of Navi, he was grown. The baby fat melted away, leaving behind hardened muscle, skin with cuts and bruises, after undergoing the harshness of battle, stunning, blue eyes once bright and gullible now darkened from the evils witnessed.</p><p>No wonder he was shunned by the forever young Kokiri.</p><p>Just as he turned for the lost woods, Link spotted his old home, the majestic tree cradling his house. </p><p>Still in mint condition. </p><p>He blinked in surprise as he approached it. When he was young, this place seemed so big to him, almost overwhelming. Now, if he chose, he could climb the little ladder with three steps. But, having been gone for seven years, how did it manage to stay so perfect....?</p><p>Pressing his lips together, he took a hold of the railing and climbed.</p><p>When he lifted the curtain to his home, he was certain his heart stopped. Time froze as he attempted to process what he was seeing. </p><p>You just finished spread his small, circular rug. The windows were clear as crystal. Every piece of furniture had been dusted and shined, looking just as perfect, maybe even better, than when he left. </p><p>And you.</p><p>How little you changed, but your face lost its glow, and your eyes looked as though a thousand tears were shed. Your hunched shoulders looked as though they carried too heavy a burden for these passing years. Bones protruding through the protective layers of your skin indicated a neglect to your physical condition. </p><p>You seemed lost in that same locked time space as he. </p><p>Slowly, you raised your bloodshot eyes to meet with his. With a slight waver, you approach him, mind still reeling as to the truth of this vision.</p><p>Link’s eyes burned. As you came closer, he tentatively took a step, hand rising waiting to touch yours.</p><p>Suddenly, your knees so wearied by the weight of your sorrow gave way, and you began to fall. With a gasp, he ran to catch you just before you could hit the floor. Gathering you in his arms, he slowly lowered you to the carpet, nestling you in the crook of his arm. With a soft whimper, your fingers clasped the fabric of his tunic. Link gritted his teeth. </p><p>
  <i>Don’t go...</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Please, don’t go...</i>
</p><p>Finally, you managed to release a shaky exhale. When you opened your eyes, you scanned his face, the wrinkle of concern in his brow, his messy golden locks framing his face.</p><p>It was him.</p><p>He came back, just as you knew he would.</p><p>With a small smile, you reached to touch his warm cheek, still as smooth as silk.</p><p>“Welcome back,” you muttered. </p><p>Throat clenching,  he grasped your hand, squeezing as if letting go would kill him. </p><p>
  <i>Please, don’t go.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>I’m begging you, please don’t go...</i>
</p><p>And as tears began to roll down his cheeks, your body fell limp in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Please don’t leave me...</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fantasy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Link x OCD!Reader] AU</p><p>[Reader’s perspective] </p><p> </p><p>
  <i>An invasion...</i>
</p><p>Teeth digging into my skin, limbs trapping me in a fast grip, eyes of red peering into my own, my muscles strain and ache as I attempt to pull from the grasp of shadowy specters as they effortlessly pin me to the gravel road. As their nails dig into the back of my skull, slamming my face into the pavement, the tiny rocks scrape against the sensitive skin of my cheeks. Tremors oscillate through my exhausted body, still fighting for any sliver of freedom. </p><p>
  <i>Thump...thump...thump...</i>
</p><p>My heart relentlessly beats against my eardrums as if announcing a battle cry. </p><p>
  <i> Fight! Keep fighting! Never give up!</i>
</p><p>Yet, the more I push or pull, the more I shout, the monsters' attacks only increase in intensity. </p><p>My now quivering muscles fall limp. My throat burns from screaming, and tears sting my eyes like tiny needlepoints. </p><p>This battle feels pointless now, and I see no other reason to keep resisting.</p><p>
  <i>So tired....so...tired...</i>
</p><p>I open my eyes only to see shadows of the monotonous, spinning of the fan, stretching across my ceiling. The little bedside lamp glows a comforting golden glow as if to bring me back to the realms of reality, a place in which no monsters existed....right?</p><p>But, as I pull the covers up to my chin, I still sense the clawing of the monsters at the back of my mind. My core still knots, and my chest remains tight. I breathe a shallow breath, another, then another. All the same, my lungs shrink behind the protection of my rib cage.</p><p>Once more, I close my eyes. The way I see it, bad sleep is better than no sleep at all, and sleeping through this attack is considered a victory.</p><p>Immediately, I regret that decision as the long menacing arms reach for me and pull me back into the abysmal, cyclic blackness.</p><p>I sense the scraping of the rocks against my face. I sense the phantasms with gaping, laughing mouths, digging their jagged nails into my flesh. </p><p>Sharp excruciating pain overtakes me, causing speckles of black to appear before my eyes. </p><p>
  <i>So....tired...</i>
</p><p>
  <i>So......</i>
</p><p>Suddenly, a blue light flickers in the midst of the thick forest. The more I blink, the more the film of tears rolls away, and I discern a mystical blade wielded by a familiar figure, charging headfirst at the carnage. Eyes of striking blue peer menacingly into these faces of darkness</p><p>
  <i>Could it be...?</i>
</p><p>An unbearable throb seems to split my head in two. Sweat trickles down my temple, and my body contorts beneath the blankets. Air from the fan’s propulsion cools my skin, but its not enough to yank me from the chaotic delirium. </p><p>I witness the sword enter one of the monster’s wide forehead. As its eyes roll into the back of its head, it releases a shrill cry before vanishing into an ebony mist, leaving no trace of its existence behind. In a blind rage, its comrades lunge after the golden haired hero standing fast. In a strange mix of relief and panic, I scrambled to my feet and turned ready to assist in the struggle. </p><p>My eyes widen, and my mouth drops.</p><p>Despite the obvious advantage in numbers, he swipes down these demonic entities as if they truly are made of nothing but shadow. His simplest moves are executed with grace and precision, and he vanquishes the creatures before my eyes, one after another, until a silence hangs in the air. </p><p>Such a quick remedy for years of agony and terror...</p><p>It almost seems <i>too</i> simple...</p><p>Finally, I feel my lungs expand to its fullest, allowing as much oxygen to enter as is able. Almost instantaneously, the fog begins to clear within my obsessive mind. My muscles ease further into the mattress, and the rushing of my blood begins to slow. </p><p>The thick veil of clouds part which allows the pale light of the moon to lighten the winding paths of the forest. Time seems to have stopped as I remain locked in place, slowly processing the silence now settling over me. I glance over at him as he carefully sheaths his sword and brushes aside strands of hair from his eyes. Tentatively, I take a step towards him. His gaze darts over to me.</p><p>My eyes flutter open a little, tears now streaking down my face. Nothing but the soft hum of the fan greets me. My heart beats at a steady pace. The air is cool, and my lungs hungrily take it all in.</p><p>“It’s over,” I whisper to myself. </p><p>
  <i>Everything is going to be okay...</i>
</p><p>With a deep sigh, I curl comfortably beneath my covers and close my eyes. </p><p>“Link,” my voice breaks.</p><p>A simple ‘thank you’ might have done the trick for him, but no words exist to express my boundless gratitude for setting me free. Yet, I fumble about attempting to gather something, anything to say to him. </p><p>Before I embarrass myself any further, he simply places a hand on mine. His grip is firm yet gentle and full of assurance. With eyes glinting beneath the starlight, the smallest of smiles plants on his lips. Any clinging anxiety immediately floats away and vanishes like a vapor. </p><p>Fingers lacing together, he pulls me back onto the thin, bending path back into the forest, back to where maybe, just maybe, I can find a little peace from the monsters in the woods. </p><p>With him at my side, I have a small glint of hope for that possibility...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Peace and Quiet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Mute!Link x Student!Reader] AU</p><p>“I’m home.”</p><p>You could assemble enough of your depleted strength to croak out the brief sentence only to for it to fall into a wave of silence within your apartment.</p><p>Not that you minded. </p><p>Sometimes, especially after a loud, tumultuous day at work, quiet was what you needed to wind down.</p><p>You dropped your back pack at the doorway to the living room and meandered to the sofa upon which your boyfriend sprawled himself with a book basically plastered to his face.</p><p>With a soft laugh, you rapped your fingers against the binding, immediately breaking him from his trance-like state. </p><p>“Welcome to Earth, space cadet,” you teased. </p><p>A small, smile, a twinkle of crystal, blue eyes, he sat up, allowing a space for you at his side. Immediately as you sat, he wrapped his lithe arms around your shoulders. Long, slim fingers skimmed through your hair. His cheek rested onto the top of your head, and his body swayed ever so slightly as if he were rocking you. Your heart began to ease into the pace of his movements. Taking his earthy scent and the heat from his green jacket, the day’s burdens slowly began to fall from your shoulders.</p><p>
  <i>Completely made up for words he was incapable of giving you.</i>
</p><p>“Thanks, Link,” you muttered into his neck as your body relaxed against his. </p><p>He took your wrist gently into his hand and faced your palm towards him. </p><p><i>Are you okay?</i> his fingers spelled, his brows furrowed with worry.</p><p>With a little nod, you replied, </p><p>“Just a long day.”</p><p>His expression remained unchanged. You could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he calculated his response.</p><p>
  <i>I don’t believe you.</i>
</p><p>Damn.</p><p>“Really,” you assured and touched your nose to his. “I’ve been going all day with little sleep.”</p><p>He just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.</p><p>“Still not buying it, huh?” you said more to yourself than him. </p><p>He tilted his head, waiting for a more satisfactory explanation. </p><p>Truth of the matter was you weren’t sure how to reply.</p><p>Everything in just the last couple of weeks seemed to have gone wrong: your exams, the homework load piling, applications being rejected. Life took one little tug at a loose seam, and you unraveled. </p><p>You racked through the drawers of your mind in attempt to find the words, fully describing what you felt.</p><p>Hopeless?</p><p>Despondent? </p><p>Depressed? </p><p>Worthless?</p><p>No, no. </p><p>Too dramatic. </p><p>No motivation? </p><p>Closer....</p><p>Link, who lacked the ability to vocalize his thoughts, was fluent in this silent language, and observed as you struggled with yourself: your body hunched over, quivering slightly, eyes swollen and red, arms flush against your sides, fingers fidgeting, cradled in your lap, lips taught into a thin line.</p><p>Translation: you were almost at your breaking point. At least, in this moment.</p><p>You just didn’t know how to articulate it.</p><p>Except with your body. </p><p>To him, it could not be clearer. </p><p>Another little smirk touching his lips, he leaned in to kiss your temple. The tip of his index finger traced the dips and lines engraved within your cupped hand, the delicate touches sending quick shivers down your back. </p><p><i>It’s okay,</i> he said. <i>I know.</i></p><p>Your heart jumped at first, but immediately sunk into relief. For once, it actually was a little comforting not to once again have the painful details of your chaos picked and pried for all the world to see. </p><p><i>Tell me when you’re ready,</i> he said again before pulling you down onto the couch with him.</p><p>You latched your arms around his waist and buried your face into his chest. </p><p>“I’ll tell you everything after some sleep,” you yawned. </p><p>Link simply nodded. As he stroked the back of your head, he held his book above his face once more. Again, you noted that gentle smile gracing his features, a blanket of contentment shrouded over him. </p><p>Another yawn, and you were asleep in record’s time, clinging to him as a child might a teddy bear.</p><p>When life was at its loudest, peace and quiet was all you needed.</p><p>And you knew he would be here to provide that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Delicate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Sidon x Injured!Hylian]</p><p>“Come with me.” </p><p>Cool rain pattered softly against your face, and the small waves of the lake gently licked the tips of your fingers as the storm swelled in its rage and majesty. At the mercy of the wind, the green grass wicked aggressively against your body as it cradled your form. Despite the intense throbbing within the festering wound of your leg, despite the horrific ache grasping your head as a furious monster ready to tear apart its prey, despite the tempest bellowing against your broken frame, numbness washed over you as a wild sea wave engulfs the tiny pebbles of the beach. </p><p>The tears once shed became lost with the rain, like moments lost in time.</p><p>The agony causing you to run, the betrayal, all vanished as a speck of dust in the wind.</p><p>In comparison to the turmoil you endured the majority of your pathetic life, this vacuum of emptiness was utterly <i>divine.</i></p><p>Maybe if you just closed your eyes, you could lose yourself within this void, and never be hurt again...</p><p>“Please,” came the voice again, jolting you from your half-conscious state. “Can you not hear me?” </p><p>All you mustered for a reply was a thin whimper. </p><p>Pools of deep gold pulled you into their soft currents as the magnificent form stretched out his strong arm to you. The front of his head shadowed his facial features, adding an aura of menace to his piercing eyes. The jewels adorning his chest, shoulders, and neck sparkled brightly with each strike of lightning. With his enormous, crimson stature, it was no wonder so many cowered at the mere presence of the Zora Prince. </p><p>After your lashes brushed away the water from your lenses, your eyes adjusted, and you further craned your neck to see him. All of a sudden, after a quick breath of relief, a wide, toothy smile appeared across his mouth, nearly ruining his almost terrifying demeanor.</p><p>Your heart leapt at the sight. Ah, yes, that was the Sidon you knew. Whether wide-eyed youngling or crowned prince and skilled warrior, that bubbling of cheer and brightness adorned him throughout the years. It was what made him who he was, the reason you cherished him so.</p><p>It was the escape you craved - no, needed - from the black hole threatening to rip you to shreds. </p><p>Slowly, he approached you, water from the lake and rain dripping from his fins and clothes. Your neck screamed with a sharp pain as you strained to gaze up and follow his motions. In attempt to keep as close to your level as possible, he knelt upon the sand of the shore which allowed his body to shield you just a bit from the rolling waves and battering rain. </p><p>As if handling a wounded chick, he carefully grasped your hand, now covered in purple and blue, meticulously keeping your damaged digits in the white, padded area of his skin instead of the sharp, red scales. </p><p>Somehow, despite the hot swelling in your cheek, the corners of your mouth twitched into a crooked smile. </p><p>Suddenly, the light in his face dimmed as he scanned your features: the gaunt caverns beneath your reddened eyes, the scratches and bruises embedded into your skin. </p><p>How tiny and delicate you seemed to him, so weak and fragile, something even a guppy could eat alive.</p><p>To endure such torture for so long and yet survive, to run this far into this horrific weather just to escape from the hellhole you called your home. </p><p>Perhaps he underestimated your strength. </p><p>Taking his free hand, and lightly brushing his thumb across your brow, unscathed by any wound, he muttered with a voice smooth as silk,</p><p>“Little one, have you not endured enough?”</p><p>The comment caused your eyes to shift from his. Be it shame or nerves, you failed to recognize. Nonetheless, how pleasant it was to enjoy some loving contact, especially from someone you esteemed so highly. </p><p>He drew himself nearer, his warm breath brushed against your cheek as he whispered, </p><p>“Come with me to Zora’s Domain. What is there for you here, now that you are in this state?”</p><p>Swallowing the hard lump in your burning throat, you attempted to speak but a low rumble of thunder drowned out any sound that might have seeped out.</p><p>He grimaced the more he watched you suffer. Now, taking you by the shoulders, he adjusted your  head into his lap, a far better option than the hard ground. Almost instinctively, you inched yourself closer to him. </p><p>Ever since your childhood, he witnessed you wearing nothing but a smile. Even if your heart grew heavy or your body nearly broken, you smiled through it, injuries and all. </p><p>And here you were, trudging your way to the gates of death, and a smile still rested on your lips. </p><p>The answer was all too clear.</p><p>No longer could he stand this. </p><p>Inserting his arm within the crook of your knees and holding your quivering back steady, he lifted you, weighing almost nothing to him, from the muddied ground. Too weary were you to care one way or another.</p><p>Besides, it proved pointless to argue against a prince. </p><p>“You have denied me far too long, my dear,” he said, with a hint of both disdain and humor. “You will reside within the halls of my domain, be it your desire or no. Are we clear?” </p><p>You simply nodded too busy enjoying the sensation of his cool skin against your still pulsating cheek. </p><p>“The storm still rampages. The journey will prove arduous, but it can be done.” </p><p>You hummed upon feeling the vibrations rumble in his chest. Before you could close your eyes and fall perfectly limp, you sensed your arms and legs being manipulated around his neck and waist. </p><p>“Hold on, little one,” he said while beginning his descent into the water. “I will hasten to the best of my ability.” </p><p>Your chin nestled into his neck, you sighed as you felt the cool waters lap beat against you, yet you sensed even a hint of fear attempting to claw at your heart.</p><p>How could you be fearful with his protection surrounding you?</p><p>Despite the untamed violence of this weather devil, you felt yourself float away into darkness. </p><p> </p><p>A pale, cool toned light surrounding large, intricate white structures was the first thing you noticed upon waking from a deep slumber. The thunder once crashing quieted down to rolling rumbles, and the rain though lingering calmed to a steady rhythm, pattering against the flowing river cradling the Domain. The aching in your body diminished, even the gashes on your cheek and leg, as they had been carefully wrapped and bandaged. Resting on your trembling arms, the cool bed of grass beneath your palms, you rose deliberately from your bed, eyes still burning and head foggy and disoriented. You managed to recall faint traces of the moments before your arrival here, but they vanished instantly like a breath in the wind.</p><p>Sidon’s image remained imprinted to the forefront of your mind, so at the very least, you knew this was his doing. </p><p>Just as you very feebly positioned yourself to rise, a voice full of cheer called out your name. </p><p>Despite jolting a bit from the sudden loudness, instinctively a grin spread across your cheeks. Sidon hurried his way up the stairs to your little corridor, isolated and peaceful. All that melancholy he displayed previously was tossed away, and he was once again his ebullient self.</p><p>“Ah! I see you have awakened!” he spread open his arms with exuberance. “At long last, I welcome you to the pride of my people, Zora’s Domain!” </p><p>“And how lovely it is,” you replied and rubbed your arms. “At least, the little I’ve seen.” </p><p>Kneeling before you, he took your hand into his, and his eyes glittered brighter than the finest gold. </p><p>“Come, you must permit me to show you the wonder of this place! There is so much to see!” </p><p>You released a tired laugh and placed your free hand atop his.</p><p>“I would love to, but-”</p><p>“Do you require more time to think on it?”</p><p>“Well, I-”</p><p>“Ah, surely, that was enough! Come! Let us be off!”</p><p>“Wait, wait!” you waved your hand frantically as he more or less yanked you to your feet.</p><p>In reaction to the sudden pressure of your body weight against it, your knee sent a jolt of pain up your leg, triggering a cry to rip from your throat. Sidon’s mouth dropped, and he fell to the ground as did you, leveling his gaze with yours.</p><p>“Oh! How foolish of me to forget!”</p><p>“No, no, please, I’ll be alright.” </p><p>Eyes full of worry, he took you by the shoulders and adjusted you back in your bed. </p><p>“Nonetheless, I simply forgot my manners and completely disregarded your needs,” solemnly, he   bowed his head, the fin drooping over his shoulder. “I beg your forgiveness.” </p><p>Somehow, you gulped down the giggle tickling your throat. The notion of ever being angry with him seemed impossible. With a sigh, you pat the crown of his head. </p><p>“No harm was done,” you assured him. “All I require is a little more rest.” </p><p>He raised his eyes, brows still furrowed with concern.</p><p>“You are positive?”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” you patted a spot next to him. “But, your company would be a delightful addition.” </p><p>He granted you a toothy grin and took your offer straight away, both your backs pressed against the wall. You sat in silence, absorbing the peace, taking in the fresh, clean air. Never had you experienced serenity of this caliber. No anxiety suffocating you. No erratic palpitations of your pulse beating throughout your body. No constant swirling thoughts of panic and worry. </p><p>Just you and Sidon listening to the rain against the rush of the river. </p><p>Your eyelids started to droop, weighed down by sleep. Your body swayed ever so lightly as moving to the tempo of the breeze. </p><p>“Little one,” Sidon almost whispered. “You appear so exhausted. Do you-Ah-!”</p><p>Before he could finish his inquiry, your head fell against his arm. He blinked and observed your condition: eyes closed, breathing slow. How quickly you fell asleep, a further indicator that this was a better option than running here, there, and everywhere, all over the Domain.</p><p>A little laugh escaped his lips. Instead of pushing you away or laying you down in your bed, he carefully placed your head into his lap allowing you to curl comfortably and nestle up against him. With a touch lighter than a feather’s, he traced the pad of his index finger around the silky areas on face, unscathed by injury, then through the locks of your hair. It warmed his heart to finally see you here, safe and far from harm’s cruel jaws, even more that you resided here with him. </p><p>While he loved your unswerving strength and courage to stand against the ferocious hurricane of life, he could now oversee and protect you as you so well deserved. </p><p>Too him, you were far more delicate and precious than a pink pearl hidden within the oceans depth. </p><p>And never again would he take it for granted.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>